Division I Women

Georgetown Picked as Big East Women's Favorite

from Press Release

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Georgetown topped the 2014 BIG EAST
Preseason Women's Lacrosse Poll as announced by the conference on
Thursday. The Hoyas claimed all seven possible first-place votes
and totaled 49 points, while Connecticut earned the final
first-place vote and 40 points to be tabbed runner-up. UConn's
Lauren Kahn was voted BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the
Year, while Louisville's Monica Negron was selected as Preseason
Defensive Player of the Year.

All eight BIG EAST head coaches, who were not allowed to vote
for their own players of teams, participated in the poll.

The Hoyas are fresh off their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in
program history and are guided by 10th-year head coach Ricky Fried.
Georgetown finished the 2013 campaign 13-6 overall and 6-2 in BIG
EAST play, earning the No. 6 seed at the NCAAs before bowing out in
the second round. Fried, who led Team USA to its seventh world
championship this past summer, was selected as head coach for the
2017 U.S. Women's National Team in August.

Georgetown returns 26 letterwinners from last season's roster,
including unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Caroline
Tarzian. Tarzian, a 2013 IWLCA Division I All-American Third Team
honoree and All-BIG EAST First Team choice, led the Hoyas with 50
points last season off 36 goals and 14 assists. Tarzian was one of
two unanimous preseason picks for GU, joined by senior midfielder
Kelyn Freedman. Freedman finished third on the squad in 2013 in
points (41) and first in shots (67).

Georgetown led all teams with six Preseason All-BIG EAST
selections as Freedman and Tarzian were accompanied by Barbara
Black, Adrianne Devine, Hannah Franklin and Casey McGowan.

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Kahn led
Connecticut to runner-up honors in the preseason poll. Kahn, the
2013 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and second-team IWLCA
All-American, registered a team-high 65 points off 42 goals and 23
assists last season. The senior out of Nanuet, N.Y., finished the
year ranked 25th nationally in ground balls per game (2.56) and
also among the leaders in draw controls (3.39).

Kahn was a unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, as was
teammate Shannon Nee. The sophomore goalkeeper, who earned All-BIG
EAST Second-Team honors in 2013, started all 18 games as a
freshman, winning 11 games in the cage. Nee turned away 95 shots as
the Huskies finished 13-5 overall and 5-3 against league foes.
Senior Kacey Pippitt also earned Preseason All-BIG EAST
recognition. Head coach Katie Woods returns for her fourth season
on the sidelines. Woods was tabbed the 2013 BIG EAST Coach of the
Year as the Huskies earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in
program history.

BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Monica Negron
led Louisville to its No. 3 position in the poll. A three-time
second team IWLCA All-West/Midwest Region honoree, Negron caused
1.44 turnovers per game in 2013 and led the BIG EAST with 4.06 draw
controls per contest, ranking 21st nationally. Her 31 ground balls
led the Cardinals last year, who finished the campaign 11-6 overall
and 3-5 in BIG EAST play, winning their final three tilts of the
year.

Senior attacker Nikki Boltja was also a unanimous preseason
selection for the Cardinals. Boltja finished 2013 ranked second
nationally in goals per game (3.71), and is the BIG EAST's top
returning points earner and goal scorer from last season. She was
named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List in April 2013 and earned
first team IWLCA all-West/Midwest Region status. Teammate Kay
Morissette rounded out Louisville's Preseason All-BIG EAST
honorees. Head coach Kellie Young enters her seventh season at
UofL.

Rutgers boasts four Preseason All-BIG EAST selections and a
fourth-place ranking in the poll. The Scarlet Knights went 9-8 in
2013, including 1-7 against league competition. RU returns its No.
2 goal scorer from 2013 in Megan Clements, who was joined on the
conference's preseason squad by Chelsea Intrabartola, Lauren
Sbrilli and Hollie DiMuro. Laura Brand-Sias is beginning her 12th
season as head coach at RU.

Temple claimed the No. 5 spot in the preseason poll. The Owls,
who enter the BIG EAST for the first time in 2014 after previously
competing in the Atlantic-10, finished last season with a 9-8
record. Temple returns their Nos. 3 and 4 scorers from a season
ago, while Bonnie Rosen will serve on the sidelines for the eighth
season as head coach of the Owls.

Villanova came in sixth in the preseason poll following a 6-10
overall record in 2013. The Wildcats return 2013 BIG EAST assists
leader Jessica Mucci (39), while Amy Begay, who saw action on
defense in all 16 games last season, also returns to the lineup in
2014. Head coach Julie Young enters her third season on the
sidelines.

Cincinnati and Marquette tied for seventh in the preseason poll.
The Bearcats finished 2013 with a 7-9 record overall, including 1-7
in BIG EAST play, while the Golden Eagles are coming off their
first season of Division I lacrosse in which they went 2-15. Gina
Oliver is in her second season as head coach at UC, while Meredith
Black has been MU's head mentor since the program's inception in
2011.

Lacrosse season officially gets under way on Feb. 9 when
Louisville travels to Duke. Cincinnati follows three days later at
Notre Dame, before the bulk of the BIG EAST squads (Marquette at
Johns Hopkins, Georgetown vs. Delaware, Connecticut vs. UMass,
Rutgers at Manhattan, Temple vs. Saint Joseph's) begin on Feb. 15.
Villanova is the final league team to begin its 2014 campaign, with
the Wildcats hitting the field on Feb. 22 against Michigan.